Tag: techno

Another dip into the wide world of electronica, this week we’re tackling an industrial techno album called Performance by Age Coin. Formerly of the band Lower, the duo behind Age Coin are Kristian Emdal and Simon Formann who, according to their label Posh Isolation, have (in Performance) divined “a cracked bump & flex from the condensation of a joyride.” Well! Cryptic orders aside, we hope your ears are as prepped as ours for a full analysis of Performance as well as a discussion on the inevitability of comparison and the mono-directionality of taste. Feel differently? Comment!

You may have some catching up to do (or some skipping to do) if the following doesn’t tickle your fancy… Video game music! Today, we’re looking at a smattering of the old and the new (mostly old). But no, this isn’t a fit of nostalgia, nor a “best-of” playlist; it’s a collection of remixes, specifically of select projects by the popular YouTuber Smooth McGroove whose multi-layered ‘a cappella’ game theme covers seemed all-too-ripe for the not-so-tender techno touch. Released through GameChops, the album Smooth McGroove Remixed features the work of ten different producers who’ve worked tirelessly to bring these themes from your childhood, and from YouTube fandom, to, of all places, the dance floor! In the course of our analysis, we’ll be expressing our individual experiences with each iteration of the evolving theme-work before tackling a hefty post-album discussion on the mounting importance of Creative Commons.

Time to put on your computer & electronic music caps. Fusing the instincts of two overseas composers, Beatrice Dillon & Rupert Clervaux, Two Changes (an album released through Paralaxe Editions) is a two-track experience like no other. From techno, to ambient, to industrial, to the jazz noir finishings of pocket trumpetist Eben Bull, Two Changes offers a little bit of everything with no shortage of spectacle, and occasionally, stupefaction. And so, after another pre-album preamble, concerning electronica and track length, @0:18:42 we explore and assess the inner-workings of Two Changes‘ only pieces, “The Same River Twice” and “A Different River Once.” Join along!

This week we’re diving deep into the world of Lord RAJA (the solo project of New York-based producer Chester Raj Anand) and his latest release, PARA. Join us as we dissect the trials and triumphs of this eclectic album and stick around for our topic (at 1:28:48): an honest discussion of the two-headed monster called “Feedback”. What do we want out of it? Should we want anything? And can it can make the world a better place? Press play to find out!

Acid techno. Need clarification? Unfortunately, clarity is hardly the aim of today’s artist: Squarepusher (the long-time alias of UK-based electronica artist, Tom Jenkinson). Although his music isn’t always dowsed in acid, Squarepusher’s penchant for spasmodic, lightning speed breakdowns has been a steady lure for the intellectually curious for up to 20 years. His work is hardly for everyone, but today we accept the challenge as we peer into his latest experiment, Damogen Furies. Then stick around for a discussion on how monetary transactions might actually impact our enjoyment of music. From concerts to streetside performances, do our endorphins jump ship the deeper we dig into our pockets?

The electronic/abstract hip hop community must be delighted by the release of Scott Herren’s latest album, Rivington Não Rio, released under his long-time alias, Prefuse 73. After several other projects, Herren’s Prefuse 73 label once again incurs an eclectic array of collaborators and featured artists, while Rivington Não Rio also aims to take us down a much darker path. After we break the album down to its core, stick around for a followup discussion on ‘music description’ and the pallete of words we implement—or strain to implement—when summing up our favorite sections.

Matt is invited behind the DJ booth for this exclusive interview with the singer-songwriter, producer, and DJ/mashup artist, meekly known as ShyBoy. Once a member of the band Hypnogaja, ShyBoy discusses the band’s dissolution but reaffirms a working relationship with its members. His solo work, however, has taken flight with two LPs, Lost In Space and Water on Mars, not to mention his newest EP, Daisy Pusher. Solo work aside, his career is complemented by a recent residency at the club, Bootie, at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, which he discusses alongside his fondness for making mashups. Fielding a vast array of musical tastes (and an ode to Donna Sommer), ShyBoy leaves time for a chat on Sci-fi and comic books for his & Matt’s “spinning” dialogue.

We’re starting off the year by reviving a prominent electronic composer by the name of Aphex Twin. After a 13-year hiatus, the man behind Aphex Twin, Richard David James, has released a new album under the old namesake, titled Syro. Steeped in bizarre titles and technical flourishes, Syro keeps us on our analytical toes every step of the way. Join us in the challenge! And afterwards, join us for a light topic: our collective expectations from the new year. We mention our new writer Tony Catalano, share some informative fanmail, and finally reaffirm the project at large.

Today we explore the layered worlds of Glitch-Hop and Chillwave with an album called Vapor City by Machinedrum. This album review is brought to us by today’s guest, the talented rapper, Hops. Afterwards, stick around for an interview and learn how Hops cultivated his knack for wordsmithing. In fact, stay a bit more and you may find a treat to close us out.

Fasten your extra-soft Ambient belts for an armchair siesta with this week’s review of Sommer by Deepchord. Then, after taking on our most pared-down work to date, we discuss the broad artistic movement of Minimalism — when “less is more”, and when there’s an excess of “less”!